COM DEV International Ltd. OM DEV, “Canada’s largest ex- content treaties,” the writ- porter of equipment for commu ers of COM DEV’s annual Cnications satellites,”1 supplies report actually meant to products for several military satellite say “arms control trea- systems that are fundamental to the ties.” Although Google. www.comdev.ca/pdf/ar_2003.pdf “missile defense” program. COM DEV com, the internet’s premier was also a major subcontractor assist- search engine, is able to ing MacDonald Dettwiller and Associ- scan the contents of more ates (MDA) on the Synthetic Aperture than eight billion web Radar (SAR) of Canada’s Radarsat-1. pages5, it could not locate (Stay tuned for more on MDA, Radarsat a single source, besides and SAR in an upcoming issue of Press COM DEV’s website, that for Conversion!) mentions the phrase “arms Interestingly, COM DEV was the content” treaties. only Canadian company to be thanked Since COM DEV in the acknowledgements of U.S. Space was able to make such an Command’s 1997 Vision for 2020 docu- obvious error, it is likely The cover of COM DEV’s annual re- ment, which outlined their determina- that the company’s brain- port for 2004 is emblazoned with a tion to further dominate the trust is quite oblivious to heart-tugging photo of beautiful, militarization of space, including space- the fact that these two smiling children in a multiracial weaponization programs envisioned for “uses” of their products “missile defense.” And, COM DEV’s are totally contradictory. classroom. It lists “missile defense” support for “missile defense” was also The design and production as a use of COM DEV products and demonstrated when it took a public of “missile defense” weap- in a glaring puff of self-congratula- stand promoting Canada’s political en- ons systems was, afterall, tion, proclaims: “We are truly mak- dorsement of this controversial weap- prohibited for 30 years by ing the world a better place.” ons program. that cornerstone of all arms The Canadian Defence Indus- control treaties, the 1972 Anti-Ballistic • Enabling deployed military person- tries Association (CDIA) website pro- Missile Treaty. It was President George nel to communicate with home vides “profiles” about its members. W. Bush’s pursuit of the “missile • Homeland security CDIA describes COM DEV as: defense” weapons program that pre- • Averting potential terrorist at- “one of the largest designer-manu- cipitated the American administration’s tacks6 facturers of microwave radio and abrogation of that treaty in June of 2002. Finally, in a glaring puff of self-con- other hardware subsystems for This same COM DEV report is gratulation, the report proclaims: “We space satellites. It operates from fa- happily entitled “Better solutions for a are truly making the world a better cilities in Canada [Cambridge, On- better world.” Its cover is emblazoned place.”7 tario and Moncton, New Brunswick] with a heart-tugging photo of beauti- Another way in which COM and the United Kingdom [Aylesbury, ful, smiling children in a multiracial class- DEV is “making the world a better Buckinghamshire], designing and room. The document conveys to share- place,” at least for those building “mis- manufacturing advanced products holders much general information about sile defense” weapons systems, is by and subsystems that are sold to ma- the company’s various noble efforts to contributing to the fastest and most jor satellite prime contractors for use supply “space and defence contractors secret Military Satellite Communica- in communications, space science, throughout the world with [satellite] tions system (MILSATCOM). remote sensing and military satellites components and subsystems.” Of and spacecraft.”2 course, all this is purportedly done, not MILSATCOM The CDIA’s description of COM DEV just for profits, but in the name of such In a 2002 “working paper” called had a list of “keywords” that included charitable causes as: “Canada and nuclear weapons: Cana- a dead giveaway, the term: “Missile • Integrated defence systems dian policies related to, and connec- Defense.” • Peacekeeping support tions to, nuclear weapons,” Project COM DEV’s 2004 annual report Ploughshares’ researcher Bill Robinson to stockholders was also blunt enough mentions COM DEV on a list of “Re- to mention “missile defense” in a tell- cent Canadian Suppliers for U.S. Nu- ing list of “uses” for COM DEV’s mili- 155 Sheldon Dr. clear Weapon Support Systems.” COM tary/space products. Oddly enough, Cambridge ON N1R 7H6 DEV made it to this list due to its ex- however, this list of “uses” also in- Phone: (613) 295-5607 Fax: (613) 569-5691 ports of “electro-mechanical switches” cludes the “verification of arms con- Email: [email protected] for “Advanced Extremely High Fre- 4 8 tent treaties.” Presumably, by “arms Website: www.comdev.ca quency [EHF] Milsatcom” payloads. June 2005 (Issue # 56) Press for Conversion! 43 Advanced EHF MILSATCOM: COM, and will position Canadian In 1999, Canada signed industry to be more competitive in the military satellite-communica- a Memorandum of Un- tions markets.”13 (Emphasis added) derstanding with the The Canada-U.S. “co-operative U.S. Department of agreement on MILSATCOM” referred Defense on bilateral to by COM DEV is mentioned in a Ca- efforts to develop nadian Treasury Board Report on DND: “On 25 August 99, Treasury Board Advanced Extremely granted preliminary project approval High Frequency Mili- for the Protected MILSATCOM tary Satellite Commu- Project. Treasury Board also pro- nications. Since then, the vided expenditure authority for the Liberal government has al- implementation of Phase 1 at an esti- mated cost of $254 million and located at least $554 mil- granted approval for the Department lion towards this technology of National Defence to enter into a which is essential for fighting nuclear war and for using MILSATCOM MOU [Memorandum “missile defense” weapons systems. COM DEV is a leading of Understanding] with the U.S. De- producer of components used for AEHF MILSATCOM. partment of Defense. The MOU was signed 16 November 99.”14 Besides this product’s role as a satellite communications to years of This Treasury Board report also component within America’s nuclear- “research and development work mentions the all-important “Industrial war fighting infrastructure, COM DEV’s completed under three [Canadian] Benefits” that drive such projects. It Advanced EHF hardware for MILSAT- government programs devoted to notes that DND “will work with Cana- COM also figures within the U.S. “mis- advancing satellite communications: dian industry to optimize opportunities sile defense” program. As the Penta- • the Canadian Space Agency [CSA] for Canadian content.”15 gon has pointed out, it requires “super /Communications Research Centre In November 2003, the Treasury high frequency secure voice and high - International Mobile Satellite Board approved spending an additional data rate transmissions” for a variety Communications Program; $300 million on Phase II of this project. of purposes including • the [DND] Department of National It is expected to be completed by the “worldwide military command and Defence’s EHF MILSATCOM summer of 2014.16 How much of the control, crisis management, relay of Technology Development IF [in- $550 million, already allocated by the intelligence and early warning data, frared] Receiver and Channelized Canadian government to this particu- treaty monitoring, diplomatic and Downconvertor program; and lar military-satellite communications Presidential communications, and • the CSA/CRC [Communications project, will end up in COM DEV’s ac- communications support for de- Research Centre] Advanced counting books is unknown. We do ployed tactical forces.”9 SATCOM program.”12 know, however, that thanks to Cana- Such speedy and secure relay- Of the three, above-mentioned dian government support, COM DEV ing of “early warning data” is “espe- Canadian government programs that has played an important role in devel- cially crucial to the success of any U.S. supported COM DEV’s efforts, DND’s oping a “unique Canadian technology” missile defense system.”10 As Marcia program on “EHF MILSATCOM” is for this project. This COM DEV prod- S. Smith, of the U.S. Congressional Re- most directly relevant to “missile uct, called “Beam*Link,” is hyped as search Service, states: defense” technologies. A DND media something that will “increase the use- “Whether missile defense weapons release, from the previous year (1998), able bandwidth of military communica- ultimately are based in space or on gives further details on government tions satellites by about 30 per cent.”17 the ground, a missile defense sys- efforts to assist MILSATCOM R&D Besides directly financing con- tem would require satellites for early among Canadian corporations. It notes, tracts for this work, Canada’s govern- warning, communications and other with regards to DND’s “co-operative ment has several other ways to boost functions.”11 agreement with the U.S. Department of domestic military corporations. For ex- How did COM DEV come to be Defense” on military satellite commu- ample, Defence Research and Develop- such a world leader in advanced EHF nications, that both governments ment Canada (DRDC), employs full-time MILSATCOM? In a pattern that repeats “recognize the development of ad- military scientists at its facilities across itself again and agian, a big part of the vanced technology as an important the country. These publicly-paid sci- answer to this question has to do with part of the co-operative agreement. entists work hand-in-glove with their Canadian government funding. When The development of unique Cana- colleagues in private-sector military in- COM DEV received a contract from the dian technology will demonstrate dustries to invent countless new mili- Hughes Space and Communications Canada’s commitment towards a co- tary technologies. The rights to these Co. in 1999, it credited its expertise in operative agreement on MILSAT- publicly-funded inventions are, as of- 44 Press for Conversion! (Issue # 56) June 2005 ten as possible, transferred to Canadian businesses so that they can profit from

exports, primarily to the U.S. military www.comdev.ca/pdf/ar_2003.pdf market. For fiscal year 1998-1999, when COM DEV received its contract with DND for Beam*Link, DRDC’s annual report noted that the rights to “Beam*Link technology [was] trans- ferred from DREO [Defence Re- search Establishment Ottawa] to COM DEV.”18 When announcing their con- tract with COM DEV for Beam*Link, DND claimed that it had “initiated the Canadian Military Sat- “OUR VALUES ARE DEEPLY ROOTED ellite Communications project …[to] OUR PEOPLE BELIEVE IN WHAT WE DO acquire assured access to worldwide Our corporate values are anchored by a desire to contribute military satellite communications something significant to society through the products that we (MILSATCOM) to support CF [Ca- make and our interaction with the community.” nadian Forces] operations.” COM Dev’s Annual Report 2004, page 12. However, it is not that simple. The DND media release also abroad. All too often, Canadian military Military Satellite Communications mentions two other underlying reasons research, spending and deployments project.”21 (Emphasis added.) for COM DEV’s contract. These have are planned well in advance to cater to, A related COM DEV success to do with: and be subsumed under, the much story is highlighted in “Global Space (1) maintaining Canada’s position as larger international projects and opera- Sector Market Trends and Drivers,” the the top foreign supplier to the U.S. tions that have their origins south of 2002 report of the Canadian Space military-industrial complex and Canada’s border. Agency (CSA). Canadian readers are (2) Canada-U.S. negotiations regard- This general framework under supposed to be impressed to learn that: ing access to military satellites. which Canadian military R&D estab- “In May 2002, COM DEV Europe DND notes that its MILSAT- lishments, military industries and armed won a contract valued at US$9.5 M COM contract with COM DEV’s will: forces tend to operate is certainly ex- [million] from TRW Inc. to supply the “improve COM DEV’s competitive emplified in the case of COM DEV’s Beam Select Switch subsystem for position vis-a-vis future American EHF MILSATCOM program. As usual, the first two satellites of the AEHF military satellite communications the Canadian government was ready program.”22 contracts. If successful, this technol- and willing to play its part by helping What this CSA blurb does not ogy will improve Canada’s ability to to fulfil requirements dictated by the reveal however is that this military con- negotiate an agreement with the U.S. U.S. military. tract won by COM DEV’s UK subsidi- on access to future American mili- This typical pattern of behav- ary with TRW Inc., the world’s fourth tary communications satellites.”19 iour is amply revealed in a 2002 Techni- largest “missile defense” prime contrac- COM DEV also acknowledged cal Paper published by the Ottawa sec- tor, was for switch subsystems that are the important role played by DND’s tion of the Canadian government’s mili- an important part of the “missile military R&D agency, DREO, that was tary research agency, DRDC–Ottawa. defense” architecture known as AEHF later renamed Defence Research and Its authors explain: MILSATCOM. Development Canada (DRDC) - Ottawa: “The requirement for greater band- “This $8.6-million contract is one of width in military satellite communi- “Missile Defense” Clients several projects that...DREO of DND cations systems has resulted in re- Of course, TRW Inc. is not the only and COM DEV have collaborated on search for systems that can be used prime contractor for “missile defense” since the early 1980s to develop in the Extremely High Frequency weapons systems that relies upon space technology for communica- (EHF) band. To support this require- COM DEV for subsystems. COM DEV tions and surveillance systems.”20 ment, the Department of National technology is, after all, aboard So, as usual, decades of Cana- Defence has sponsored the devel- “more than 150 satellites in dian government funding for military opment of unique Canadian technol- orbit…and the company has sup- R&D programs have been designed to ogy under the Canadian Military plied payload subsystems to 67 in- help serve U.S. military needs. The same Satellite Communications project. ternational space programs.”23 principal is true of Canadian military- This is part of the Canadian com- Among COM DEV’s leading cli- equipment acquisition programs and mitment to the U.S. Advanced Ex- ents are many top, war-profiteering in- even the stationing of Canadian troops tremely High Frequency (AEHF) dustries that, as always, euphemisti- June 2005 (Issue # 56) Press for Conversion! 45 cally call themselves whether or not Canada “defense contractors.” should get involved in the Among these military cli- so-called “missile defense ents are several that have shield,” an anti-war/anti- happily cashed in on the poverty network called bonanza resulting from ef- Homes Not Bombs (HNB), forts to design and develop was not falling for this de- weapons for so-called ceptive game. Instead, HNB “missile defense” systems. was pointing out, through For instance, COM DEV articles, educational events documents24 reveal that its and satirical direct actions, top clients include the fol- that Canada was already lowing “missile defense”- deeply involved in this U.S.- linked firms: led weapons program, and ♦ Alenia this complicity should be ♦ BAE Systems stopped. ♦ Boeing For instance, on Novem- ♦ European Aeronautic ber 9, 2001, HNB activists Defence and Space from across Ontario showed ♦ Hughes up at Defence Research Es- ♦ Lockheed Martin tablishment Ottawa (DREO) ♦ Orbital Sciences to stage “The Wizard of ♦ Space Systems Loral DREO.” Fifty activists, ♦ TRW many in costume for their Standing out on this list of farcical play about govern- COM DEV’s main clients When Homes Not Bombs activists staged a ment involvement in “missile are three of the so-called satirical “Wizard of DREO” action to ex- defense” and space weap- “Big Four” prime contrac- pose the Canadian government’s involvement ons research, were met by tors that are overseeing “almost 200 police officers, much of the “missile de- in research and development of “missile RCMP and CSIS agents, riot fense” weapons program, defense” and space weapons, they were met squad backup, the full ca- namely, Boeing, Lockheed by 200 police, RCMP, CSIS, a riot squad, nine unit, a police airplane Martin and TRW. a canine unit, a fire department crew, doz- constantly flying back and ens of police vehicles, paddy wagons, a po- forth overhead,... two ambu- lances,... one fire crew from Conflicting Visions lice aircraft and a “Cecil B. DeMille-style” Vision for 2020 is the bible the Kanata Fire Depart- of those who are working camera wagon topped with a huge tripod ment,.... dozens of police ve- day and night to militarize and camera to film their every movement. hicles, police wagons, and a space. This influential, U.S. Cecil B. DeMille-style cam- Space Command document is at the space capabilities and forces to meet era wagon with a huge tripod and centre of “missile defense” propaganda the challenges of the next century.” 25 large, almost old-fashioned looking efforts. It foresees a world, in the not SPACECOM then lists 28 “mili- camera to film the day’s activities.”26 too distant future, where “missile tary/civil organizations” and 48 corpo- Two HNB activists were arrested for defense” weapons have become a real- rate entities in the category of “com- trying to inspect DREO, and the war ity and where America is without peer mercial industry.” This second list is a technology research facility closed up in its control of space as the “high veritable who’s who of top corporate shop the day. Besides, facing an over- ground” to wage and win war. (See page players profiting from the militarisation zealous security establishment deter- 17 of the previous issue of Press for of space and/or the production of “mis- mined to protect DREO, HNB also faced Conversion! for numerous quotations sile defense” systems. There is only media apathy and the peace movement. from this SPACECOM document.) one Canadian company on the list, “The lack of media coverage was In its “Acknowledgements” “COM DEV Canada.” consistent with the lack of response section, Vision for 2020 reads in part: The appearance of COM DEV from many corners of Canadian so- “USSPACECOM and its Compo- on the “Acknowledgements” page of ciety to the news that a self-pro- nents wish to thank all the people Vision for 2020 has drawn the ire of claimed ‘peaceful’ nation was in- and organizations whose invaluable some anti-war activists who oppose volved in the development of the star assistance broadened our collective Canada’s involvement in “missile wars system...as well as [in] plans to perspective, provided a continual defense.” For several years, while help institute the U.S. Space Com- reality check and helped us develop many Canadian peace organizations mand’s infamous Vision 2020 docu- a plan to begin shaping our national willingly engaged in the question of ment about conquering space.... 46 Press for Conversion! (Issue # 56) June 2005 The continued stance of most should build homes, not blow them and Mail urging Canada’s government ‘established’ peace groups that we up.” to make a speedy decision in favour of should lobby the federal government Although it is possible that the “missile defense” weapons pro- not to be involved in star wars when some COM DEV employees were gram. The article states that Mabson we [i.e., the government] already moved by the HNB action, it appears “said the danger in delaying a deci- have made that commitment in physi- that Peter Mabson, the corporation’s sion is that Canada may not get full cal terms, speaks to the psychosis vice-president of business develop- benefit. ‘You wait too long and you of a country which is like a bump- ment, remained completely unenlight- may support it and it doesn’t mat- covered carpet: so much dirt has ened. He was later quoted in the Globe ter.’”27 been swept underneath the rug that you cannot walk across it anymore References without falling over and then won- 1. Canadian Space Industry Guide - COM rep-pub/ddm/rpp/rpp04-05/mcp_e.pdf dering why the ground wasn’t DEV Ltd. 17. DND backgrounder, op. cit. www.conveyor.com/space/org/forms/f- 18. Defence Research and Development level.”27 comdev.html Branch, Annual Report, 1998-1999. A few month later, during a non- 2. Member Profile: COM DEV Ltd., Ca- dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Collection/D1-14- violent action to unearth the dirt on nadian Defence Industries Assoc. 1999E.pdf COM DEV’s role in “missile defense,” www.cdia.ca/public/index.asp? 19. DND media release, “National Defence “the folks at the Campaign to Demilita- action=profiles. and COM DEV International to Fur- rize Canada, A Division of Homes not 3. Ibid. ther Develop Satellite Communications Bombs (HNB)” presented an “Open 4. COM DEV Annual Report 2004 Technology,” October 13, 1998. Letter to COM DEV.” Their letter called www.comdev.ca/pdf/ar_2004.pdf www.comdev.ca/pressrel/1998/ upon company employees to “Get Out 5. Google Advertising 981013a.html www.google.com/ads/glossary.html 20. Ibid. of Space Warfare, and Pledge Your- 6. COM DEV Annual Report, op. cit. 21. Jack Litzenberger, Michel Clenet, Gil- selves to Stop Working for War.” 7. Ibid. bert Morin and Yahia Antar, “Study of HNB’s letter said: 8. Bill Robinson, “Canada and Nuclear a Waveguide Antenna Implemented in “It is clear that COM DEV’s work in Weapons,” Ploughshares working pa- Laminated Material” DRDC Ottawa satellite communications would be per 02-5 Technical Report, December 2002. vital to achieving the goals of Vision www.ploughshares.ca/CONTENT/ cradpdf.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/PDFS/unc02/ for 2020.” WORKING%20PAPERS/wp025.html p518815.pdf HNB then cited this quotation from the 9. Space Forces, Pentagon’s Annual 22. Global Space Sector Market Trends and infamous USSPACECOM document: Defense Report, 1996. Drivers www.milnet.com/pentagon/adr96/ gauss.gge.unb.ca/CSA.trends.2002.pdf “Military satellite communications chapt_23.html 23. Canadian Space Industry Guide, op. cit. are key to achieving Dominant 10. “Current and Future Space Security, 24. a. Annual report 2000 Maneuver on the future battle- Military Programs: Satellites,” Mon- www.comdev.ca/pdf/AR_2000.pdf field.… Space-based surveillance, terey Institute of International Studies b. Annual General Meeting, 2002 earth resource monitoring and mis- cns.miis.edu/research/space/us/mil.htm www.comdev.ca/pdf/cdi_agm_ sile warning capabilities enable 11. Marcia S. Smith, “U.S. Space Programs: 2002.pdf warfighters to complete the common Civilian, Military, and Commercial,” c. Media Release, “COM DEV An- operating picture of the battlefield. Congressional Research Service Issue nounces Results for the First Quarter Information products are dissemi- Brief, April 22, 2003. of Fiscal 1999,” March 11, 1999. www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr. www.comdev.ca/pressrel/1999/ nated directly to the point of need, html?pid=11050 990311.html even to the foxhole, bridge or cock- 12. Media Release, “COM DEV Launches 25. Acknowledgements, Vision for 2020 pit. Products could be ‘pushed’ or New Product with Hughes Contract,” www.fas.org/spp/military/docops/ ‘pulled’ depending on warfighter April 19, 1999. usspac/lrp/ack.htm needs... Satellite navigation systems www.comdev.ca/pressrel/1999/ 26. “Homes not Bombs Closes Space War- will allow for greater positional and 990419.html fare Facility November 9,” Nov. 9, 2001. timing precision in a new generation 13. DND Backgrounder documentation, www.homesnotbombs.ca/dreoaction of ‘fire and forget’ weapon systems, “DND Interest in Satellite-Communi- report.htm while denying this advantage to our cations Technology,” October 13, 1998 27. Ibid. www.comdev.ca/pressrel/1998/ 28. Open Letter to COM DEV from Homes adversaries.”26 981013b.html Not Bombs, “Get Out of Space War- Unfortunately, the rational and 14. Report on Plans and Priorities, 2001- fare, and Pledge Yourselves to Stop impassioned pleas of Homes Not 2002, National Defence. Published by Working for War,” February 1, 2002 Bombs activists asking COM DEV em- the Treasury Board of Canada. www.homesnotbombs.ca/comdev ployees “to Stop Working for War,” fell www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/20012002/ letter.htm on deaf ears. Apparently, the money ND-DN/nd0102rpp06_e.asp 29. Simon Tuck, “Missile defence decision from military contracts, including “mis- 15. Ibid. urged soon,” Globe and Mail, May 12, sile defense”-related work, somehow 16. Report on Plans and Priorities 2004- 2003. outweighed the reasonable proposition 2005. Major Capital Equipment www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ Projects, Status Report, July 29, 2004. ArticleNews/TPPrint/LAC/20030512/ housed in HNB’s motto: “Canada www.vcds.forces.gc.ca/dgsp/00native/ RDEFE/TPBusiness June 2005 (Issue # 56) Press for Conversion! 47